Improvement in bolt mechanisms for prison-doors



T.R.IPULLIS e 1. PULLIS. Bolt Mechanism for Prison Doors.

Patented April22,1873.

- :ME u p nag AM PHOfOi/IHOGRAFHIC c0. NY.(0ssamEIs PROCESS) UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS E. PULLIS AND JOHN PULLIS, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

IMPROVEMENT IN BOLT MECHANISMS FOR PRISON-DOORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 138,099, dated April 22, 1873,- application filed March 8, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, THOMAS R. PULLIS and J OHN PULLIs, of St. Louis, in the county of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented a new and improved Bolt Mechanism for Prison-Doors, of which the following is a specification Figure 1 is a front view of a cell-door with our mechanism attached, and Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same on the line 0 c, Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The object of our invention is to provide a mechanism by which the doors of prison-cells may be locked simultaneously, allowing at the same time the opening and closing of each door separately. By the use of this mechanism the opening and closing of the cells for the daily walks of the prisoners may be facilitated, and at the same time many of the difficulties and inconveniences to which the jailer is exposed by refractory prisoners or by a conspiracy among them can be avoided.

The bolts as at present applied on the front edge or on top of the door are often, espec ially when resistance is offered, turned or locked before the door has closed entirely, and as a natural consequence the bolts go between the door and jamb instead of in front of the door, and the jailer has to depend more or less on the assistance of the prisoners in closing the door entirely to be enabled to lock the doors. Our invention consists of a horizontal bar placed above or below the doors of a series of cells on one side of the passage provided with pivoted arms and horizontal friction-rollers, locked to the bar by a padlock, the whole bar traveling horizontally in suitable guide-supports by means of a screw end and female screw applied in proper manner to the wall, or partition, or frame at the end of the passage. By taking out the padlock the arm with friction-roller may be swung outward from the horizontal bar, and each celldoor opened and closed by itself.

In the drawing, A represents the door of a cell, along the upper casing of which the horizontalbarB is applied and supported by guide. loops b. To a projecting double lug, a, is pivoted the arm (3, having at one end thereof a vertical projection, cl, which carries loosely the horizontal friction-roller D in such a manner that the same traverses along the upper frame-piece of the door A, first striking the door on the hinged side. A horizontal projecting lug, 0, attached firmly to the bar B, and perforated by a hole, f, which corresponds with a similar hole of arm 0, may, by a padlock,f, be rigidly connected with arm 0 so that roller D presses firmly on door A. One end of bar B is threaded and moves in the female screw 9 applied in proper manner to a wall,

partition, or frame at the end of the passage. This female screw is provided with a wheel, E, which may easily handled from below, and the travelin g bar B adjusted thereby. Otherlocks or bolts may be applied to the door and doorposts to further secure the same.

To open the cells the jailer must unlock first the lower and independent locks; then, by turning the screw-wheel E, the bar B carries the friction-rollers D gradually along the doors to the hinge-posts thereof, releasing the doors and permitting the opening of the same by the prisoners. On their return the doors are closed by turning screw-wheel E in the other direction so that the friction-rollers D taking hold of the doors shut them, and in passing over them bolt them securely. The jailer may thus at leisure fasten the lower looks or bolts. N o delay is therefore experienced, nor may unforeseen violence be offered, as the jailer can overlook all the doors.

Having thus described our invention, We claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The traveling bar B with lugs a and e havingpivoted and connected therewith arms 0 and friction-rollersD in connection with screwwheel E, applied as described.

THOMAS E. PULLIS. JOHN PULLIS. Witnesses:

Aueusrus PULLIs, RUDOLPH Ewan. 

